The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-11
HERRING "DRIyING.r
SOME FACTS ABOUT FISHING OFF
THE COAST OF MAINE.

The Most Prolific Inhabitants OF the sea.
Evidences of the One Engrossing voca-
ton of the Coast Pcopie-An Exciting
Nigh, Drive"
The herring is the most prolific Of fish,
each "matie" or roe fish, annually depos-
ting from 10000 to 10000 eggs; that
wh.e these individual MATES probably
do not spawn but once each year spawn
ing by herring shoals certainly occurs
twice n year, I'm early spring and Int fall;
that herring shoals are of prodigious ex-
tent, often closely packed Ike flock Of
sheep for distances of eight or nine
miles and breadths Of two 10 three, with
an unknown depth that a shOal OF
square mile, three fathoms deep, will con-
tain 800 900. 600 behring's: that all the fish
ing in all the world could never diminish
their numbers: that their only enemies
worthy Of note are the gulls, fin whales,
dog fish, gannets, porpoises, the nat nshi
which feed upon the newly deposited
spawn. and the ravenous cod, in whose
stomachs the herring is found the whole
year through; and that they will swarm
nj and return TO good feeding and spawn
ing grounds. despite all lore and super
stition of fisher folk, unless their food
supply shall fail or they are driven from
Their home grounds by repeated on
slanuhts of their own vorac ous seafaring
relatives.
Therefore. and therefore only the
waters of our farthest northeast coast
lal the southwestern shores Of New
j. llevick annually swarm with herrings
because The coyes, estuaries bays and
entering streams provide the feeding and
spawning grounds these delicious fish de-
sire oud they never disappear save when
natural conditions withhold their food or
the cod. in Great armadas. sweep back 10
the west from the banks and set upon
them ravcnously for their own food But
however this may be, the herring in in
cXhaustille numbers are here Here. too
are p hardy. brave and simple folk. nearly
equally divided among Americans and
Canadians who. from April TO December
which term comprises the annual sea
son, know no other labor or hope than in
this harvest beneath the waves From
Mount Desert past Englishmans bay,
Machia-, QuOddy Head Lubec and East.
port in Maine, around Campobello, Grand
Mannn. Wolf Islands Deer Island, Lee
leland. Passamaquoddy bay. into which
flow fhe noble 81 CroiN. ST. andrews,
ST. George. and even 10 Nace's bay in
New Brunswick every mile Of shore line.
every swirl OF waters. every nook and
Granny where the tide crecp- in and out.
has is indisputable evidence Of this one
enQrossug vocation. Herring seineS. her
ring boats. herring weirs herring fishers
are an one sees or knows iu human activ-
ity. One cats herring walks ON herring
stumblc~ upon herring waste: bteathes
the pungeut aroma OF herring in all
stages of curing. hear, taught bat talk
OF herring. and rides through the witch
land Of dreams upon mou~uous herring
bOas.
In the region named 20 population OF
20. 600 souls practically -uD-ist upon the
rewards Of herring fishing. fully 5000
men and boys are engaged boz the actual
work and over !. 900 boats are constantly
in use These are of one model and pat
tern. and the Qu0ddv boat as 10 is called,
taking It's abbreviated name from the
noble pas,amaquoddy bay. around whose
irregular but beautiful shore the larger
number Of herring fisher, have their hum
BILE homes. should have long since been
famous in romance and song The
Qu0ddy is built for serious u-c. not
pleasure But 10 would still make q festy
rival for even the cat yuwl of Newport
famous for its seawOrthiuc,s and speed.
The herring are taken in three different
ways by the seine, iu weirs and boy -driv-
ing" the latter method forbidden by
American and Canadian regulation. being
by far the most interesting procedure
There is "a genine romance and excitement
about herring driving go IL Is done
under fear of the mighty law. and cover
Of pitch black nights II the waters
be- sullen. dark and still and q dense fog
has stolen upon Quoddv from The
sea 90 keep the hated officials in
doors with their grog fortune IS
kind indeed To the herring fisher, who may
thus turn AN extra honest penny for the
winter and little ones, away from the OF
tawa money bags and the bothersOme sur
plus at Washington Everything is snug
and shipehapc bctimes awaiting the night
flood tide Softly the fisher and crew Of
three, in their oil clothes and sou westers,
glide away from shore with mu1ied oars
into the mpenetrable darkness Every
square IOl OF wafer IL rs ltlliliIhl ~ tllt'f
men as the "cuddy" of their own boat.
The mast is left behind There are two
oarsmcn, one steersman and Upper"
When favorable ground" has been
reached there is a sudden fash in the boat.
In moment a stronger light appears for
ward over the gunwale on the port side.
There, in little wire woven dragon or
crescent, sizzlcs and flames a Quoddy
torch The Quoddy indians, at Pleasant
Point on the ST. CroiX have made it Of
birch bark Ii is eighteen inches long,
six wide, two or three thick, has cost five
cents; and will blaze for half an hour
The moment this is aflame the QuOddy
boat fairly leaps upon the water The
greater its speed the greater the luck
Suddenly there is a tremor in the water
just ahead of the flaring torch. The
'dipper" stands with barred arms, reso-
lutte as il for mighty deed. grimly grasp
ing the stout handle of "a huge scoop net.
The tremor upon the water increases 70
ripple and the efforts of the oarsmen are
redoubled The ripple soon becomes a